"'There once was a boy with a big imagination who loved to play tag, climb trees, and gaze out of his window. Inspired by the world around him, he expressed his excitement in pictures and poems. Before he could even write, he played with words and said poems aloud. And when he got older, he filled page after page with poems.

This sensitive and spirited glimpse into the life of E. E. Cummings ... is a lively story starring Edward Estlin, the playful child fascinated by words, who will grow up to become one of America's most beloved poets. Some of Cummings' most wonderful poems are integrated seamlessly into the story..."

Tantalizing taste:

"When Estlin was eleven,

his favorite teacher, Miss Maria Baldwin,

noticed his wonderful way with words

and encouraged him.

From her, Estlin learned that

anything is possible,

as long as you are true to yourself

and never give up, even when the world

seems to say, stop!

... Using a style all his own,

e. e. put lowercase letters where capitals normally go,

and his playful punctuation grabbed reader attention.

His poems were alive

with experimentation

and surprise!

And because of his love for lowercase letters,

his name began to appear with two little e's (& a little c, too)."

and something more: I'm always intrigued by the author's connection to a story, and Matthew Burgess shares a wonderful story in his "author's note" (note that it's all in lower case): "In June, 2007, I was invited to lead a 'literary walk' of Greenwich Village. I had never given a tour before, so I took photographs of the buildings on the route and wrote notes on the back for reference. A few days later, a I stood on the stoop of 4 Patching Place, anxiously trying to remember snippets of E E. Cummings' life story to share with the assembled group, the front door swung open. A woman and a boy emerged, and by a stroke of luck, the woman happened to be friends with someone in our group [and she invited them inside.]

Suddenly, the twelve of us were filing up the tiled narrow staircase andante the room where Cummings had worked for almost forty years. The windows opened to trees and birdsong, and the summer light filtered in. The room showed all the telltale signs of a young boy's bedroom, but it wasn't difficult to imagine E. E. Cummings writing and painting there...

Three years later, when my publisher, Claudia Zoe Bedrick, asked me if I would be interested in writing picture book about E. E. Cummings, I remember that day at Patching Place, and I sensed another door opening. E. E. Cummings was one of the first poets to make a strong impression on me when I was a child, and the memory of visiting his home felt like an auspicious sign."

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occupation: first and foremost... children's book author. Also SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) school group docent and Council Member, public library Board of Trustee member, former middle school Language Arts and Writing Workshop teacher and high-tech attorney

represented by: the fabulous Deborah Warren of East West Literary Agencyloves: children's literature, SCBWI, the beauty and power of words, modern art and architecture, chocolate, exploring new places, adventures, hiking, flower gardens, zumba, modern dance classes, my wonderful family and friends and adopted Humane Society tabby cat AND writing a true tale ... with something more!

And here's my picture book about a stellar Steller Sea Lion, a true story ...

illustrated by Shennen Bersani

ASTRO book award!

2011 Gold Mom's Choice Award

Tells the true tale of a stellar Steller sea lion, a threatened species. Only days old when found orphaned, Astro is cared for at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California. When big enough to be released, he has other plans! Astro swims back towards the Center and even joins a walk-a-thon! The book tells of his journey to his current home at the Mystic Aquariumin Connecticut.